Returning teacher Tammy Soelberg is joining the staff again after leaving in 2018. Now she teaches AP Literature after teaching an assortment of different subjects. 

Talya Gabay: How long have you been teaching?

Tammy Soelberg: Over 20 years. I feel like 22, but for sure over 20.

TG: What have you taught?

TS: So I have taught AP Lang, AP Lit, Honors 10, Beginning and Advanced Dance- all of that stuff here. At other schools I taught everything from Beginning Dance Company Dance, Humanities, honors sophomores, on level sophomores, and I think that’s it.

TG: What was your favorite out of all of those classes to teach?

TS: I would say AP Lit.

TG: What’s your favorite book?

TS: So my favorite author is David Valdacci. I have read like every book that he has written and I just love him. He’s got like different series that he works within them too, they’re just super good.

TG: How do you like teaching at Perry?

TS: I love Perry. For me it’s being home because I was here for five years until 2018, so it’s just like walking back into home. Like there’s people that I know, everything’s familiar, it’s awesome. The kids are awesome, it’s great. 

TG: Why did you come back to Perry?

TS: I came back because they asked me to. They needed somebody for second semester and it’s dual enrollment, which is everything that I’ve taught before with seniors and they asked if I could come and do it for a semester and I said yes.

TG: Was this your dream career? If not, what was it?

TS: It’s funny because I majored in English in college, and minored in dance and I said ‘I am not going to be a teacher, I am not going to do it’,  so my dream job was to be a technical writer which I did for two years for Ticketmaster in their corporate office and it was terrible. Because I’m a people person and you didn’t really have the interaction with people. And I taught dance my whole life and my husband was like ‘why are you doing this? You need to be a teacher,’ and he was correct. And I love it. For me, students make my job. Like that’s just it. I love the interaction with students.

TG: If you were a character in a book who would you be and why?

SC: There’s so many choices, but whoever it is, I would want it to be not the typical heroine. I want to be the strong, female, independent person who takes on the world. I don’t know who exactly that is though. Maybe I want to be black widow. Maybe that’s it.

TG: Would you rather have super speed or strength? Why?

TS: Strength, because I feel like, I think strength like mentally and physically and if you have that, you can handle anything.

The staff is welcoming Soelberg back after a four year break. Because she teaches a senior level class, all current freshman, sophomore, and juniors have the opportunity to learn under her advisement.